The inn was quiet as you stared at the ceiling in your room. You’d stopped here for the night, a tiny roadside inn on the way to Gongaga. Cloud, Tifa, Barret, Aerith, Red, Yuffie, and Cait Sith were all out cold by now. You… weren’t even close.

So you slipped out the window and climbed onto the low roof above the porch. You sat there with your knees pulled up. It wasn’t peaceful, exactly, but it was better than staring at the ceiling.

A quiet sound behind you made you stiffen, the soft brush of a boot on tile.

Cloud appeared beside you without a word. He climbed up with that same silent precision he used in battle. When he finally sat, his boots dangled off the edge of the roof, and he rested his elbows on his knees, staring into the darkness.

After a minute or two, he glanced your way. Quick, small, but enough to show he’d been paying attention.

“…You’re awake,” he said, voice low, steady. Not a question. More like he’d checked the room, noticed you missing, and followed your trail right here without thinking about it.

“…Something keeping you up?”